The Kerala Story was among the big winners for Bollywood at the 71st National Film Awards, announced on Friday. The film won two awards for Best Director and Best Cinematography. But even as the team behind the film celebrated, the triumph erupted into a political controversy, with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan slamming the jury.
Kerala CM slams film's win
The controversial film on religious conversions in the state was opposed by CM Vijayan and his party when it originally released in 2023. On Friday, after the announcement of the awards, the CM took to X (formerly Twitter) and alleged that the move "lent credibility" to a narrative rooted in the "divisive" ideology of the Sangh Parivar.
“By honouring a film that spreads blatant misinformation with the clear intent of tarnishing Kerala's image and sowing seeds of communal hatred, the jury of the National Film Awards has lent legitimacy to a narrative rooted in the divisive ideology of the Sangh Parivar. Kerala, a land that has always stood as a beacon of harmony and resistance against communal forces, has been gravely insulted by this decision,” the CM wrote in his tweet.
Kerala CM also said that the awards jury has insulted the noble tradition of Indian cinema that stood for "religious brotherhood" and national integration.
{{/usCountry}}Kerala CM also said that the awards jury has insulted the noble tradition of Indian cinema that stood for "religious brotherhood" and national integration.
{{/usCountry}}"Through this, they are implementing the Sangh Parivar agenda of turning cinema into a weapon to implement the communal agenda. We strongly protest against this action. Every Malayali and all democratic believers in the country should raise their voice against this injustice. We must rally against politics that turn art into a weapon to foster communalism," he added.
The Kerala Story's National Award win
At the 71st National Film Awards, The Kerala Story won Best Director and Best Cinematography awards.
Directed by Sudipto Sen and starring Adah Sharma, The Kerala Story, which was released on May 5, 2023, emerged as one of the most successful films at the box office. However, the movie came in for severe criticism from some quarters, with many, including Opposition leaders, alleging that it falsely claimed that 32,000 women, who went missing from Kerala, were forced into terrorism upon alleged conversion or sold to ISIS as sex slaves.
The movie faced a backlash in several states, with the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government imposing a ban on screening the film in the state.
(With ANI inputs)
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